Melomakarona & Kourabiedes

Melomakarona: Wheat flour, semolina, sunflower oil, sugar, honey, walnuts, orange juice, baking soda, cognac, cinnamon, cloves.

Melomakarona and kourabiedes are biscuits rich in ingredients and flavours and are a landmark in the Greek celebration of Christmas and New Year.
I can remember year after year the women of my family gathering around the kitchen table to produce them with immense excitement and joy. It is the common effort and the pleasure of a successful baking that makes this gathering so special. It is also a feast for all senses: looking, listening and speaking at your beloved ones; feeling the warmth of the room; forming the dough into beautiful shapes with your hands; tasting the dough to check if the ingredients blend well together; breathing in the divine fragrance of the baking: cinnamon, cloves, orange, butter, cognac.
This year I’ll follow my mother’s recipes, tried, improved (and perfected to our taste) over the years.
You can now buy your melomakarona and kourabiedes from the Sheffield Country Market on Saturday 12 and 19/12/09.

Kourabiedes: Wheat flour, goat’s butter, cow’s butter, almonds, icing sugar, semolina, cognac, baking powder, free-range egg.